Electric cutter and trimmer



March 7, 1939. J' A ORR 2,149,463

ELECTRIC CUTTER AND TRIMMER Filed Feb. 4, 1955 2 Shee ts-Sheet l F/G. l. 5

0o l 2 Y g A T TORNEY.

March 7, 1939. J. A. ORR

ELECTRIC CUTTER AND vTRIIVIMER Filed Feb. 4, 19.55

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 7, 1939 ELEcTnrc CUTTER ANn-TimuMEn. .lohn A011', Chicago, Animation February. 4,71935,jser1a1 Na. 4,849, ii-1 (ic-1.*5- zg5i I This invention relates toimprovements in Acombination or convertible. electric grass'cutters.

edgers and trimmers. One object i'sto provide an implement -of this type thaty is 'positive and..`

efficient in operation,'that is composed: of few n parts, durable in use, inexpensive to manufacture.

anyone of ordinary intelligence.Y l A further object is to provideY a portable limplement of this type that may b e `adjusted tolight in weight, and that can be readily used by cut vertically, horizontally or at any Vangle there-` between, means being provided' for releasably locking the implement in any adjusted position.

A 'still further object is to provide a cutter,

edger and trimmer' that when moved horizontally' will cut grasswhether moved :laterally orl to-I ward and away from the operator;and that when moved with "'the cutter or bladedisposed ina vertical or oblique position will cut a straight j-edge, or cuta furrow alongside a curb, side- Qwalk. or like object. A

,J- .Aivstill further object is to provide an implematerial to be ,cut is drawn in or toward thevcutter and whereyiin provision is made against the possibility of ment of 4this type wherein the clogging or impeding the movement of the cutter. i i A further object is to provide a cutter, edger and trimmer that may be manipulated with one hand, that may slide upon-a runner orbase plate riding over the ground: or that may ne swung above the ground to permit contact of the cutting element with the material to be cut.

A further object is to provide an electric implement of this type having a. fan-cooled lmotor, the fan being attached to the outer end of the motor whereby cool currents of air are directed against the motor brushes.

With the foregoing and other objects in view theinvention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts to beA hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the claims and illus-v trated in the accompanying drawings which form' 'this application for patent and inrnv a part of which- Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of the device 4 showing its use as'a grass cutter or trimmer, the movement being horizontal.

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the cutter and trimmer.

Fig. 3 isy a view similar to-Fig. 2 but showing armodiiied form of the implement.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional viewtaken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

ing parts Vthroughout the several views.

slightly' 'modiied i'orm ofthe implement.

. Fig.v6.is a vertical sectional view through Fig. 1. -Flg.{7 is an enlarged sectional detailview its application. i A, l l

Fig. 8 is aV view similar to Fig. 'l' but showing A a ball bearing instead ofk the roller.v

Fig. 9:'is an enlarged fragmentary sectional Fig.` 10'is a view, similar to Fig. 3, of a further Y .slightly modied formgw'ithftooth collar added.

Fig; 11 is 'a cross sectional view through Fig.

` '10, with the .toothed collar removed.

Fig. 1,2,is'atopvplan .view of a modiied form l5 of bell-shaped housing thatmay be employed.

. Fig. 13 is a cross sectional view through Fig. 12. Fig. 14 is a fragmentaryview of a modified form of blade sometimes employed. Fig. l15 is a plan view of lthe vtoothed collar. Fig..16 is a view of the device illustrating its use as aimarker orzedgerand a-furrow cutter,

'the knife rotating in a. vertical plane.

' Fig. 1,7 is atop plan view of the device with the cap removed;

' Fig'. -1'8 is a plan view of the cap. e I

Fig.,-19 is an elevational view of the device disposed vertically and in use upon the hedge.

` Like'reference characters denote correspond- The reference numeral l denotes the housing 4 of the motor C to one end of which the fan housing 2 is secured that carries the fan Ib, the outer lend of said fan housing being perforated and provided with the screen 2a to admit air and 35 screen out dust and clippings. The air entering the fan housing is directed by the fan upon the motor 4brushes thus cooling the motor in a most eilicient manner. A metal strap 3 encircling the motor housing is adjustably connected to the sectional handle 3a. by the screw bolt 4 thus providing means for locking the handle in any adjusted position. 'I'he'electric cord 5 running to the motor is secured by clips 6 to the handle, said cord running to an electric outlet. Secured to one end of the motor housing is the bell-shaped skirt or .bottom which may be formed of one piece of material 1 provided with perforaf "Figr 5 is'an inverted plan*` view o1' a further4 l 'cfa guide roller sometimesl employed, showing Y'5" the beveled side of the end I4. The innermost wires 9 have one end terminating in the ring Ill and the opposite end extending therebeyond and formed with downturned hook endsIS. The outermost wires 9 have one end terminating in the ring I9 and the opposite end extending therebeyond and curved laterally as at I6. Wires I3a connect the rings III, I2 and extend beyond the ring III and meet the wires 9, II at right angles.

The one-piece skirt 1 is formed with diametrically opposed blade-end guards I1 and I8 and at points substantially ninety degrees from the guards I1 with a plurality of similar guards I9. Upon the opposite side of the guards I1, I8 with respect to the guards I9 are the straight outer guards 20 and spaced parallel hooked guards 2l. Secured to the reduced outer end of the motor shaft Ia. is the rotary blade 22 spaced slightly outward from the skirt 1, the blade ends passing through the hooks 2l as the blade rotates. In the Wire skirt of Fig. 12 the blade 22 is similarly carried and disposed beyond the bell and passes through the hook ends I4, I5. The motor housing is round in cross section and the bell-shaped skirt 1 is integral with or secured to one end thereof and concentric therewith and the motor shaft extends substantiallyv centrally and longitudinally through said members.

The blade 22 is formed with two cutting edges 23, 24, one at each end. said edges being disposed upon relatively opposite lateral sides of the blade,

blade being disposed adjacent the bell-shaped bottom with the cutting edges disposed outwardly with respect thereto. Due to the particular bevel of the blade, rotation of the-same at high speed draws air inwardly towardthe skirt thus feeding into the cutting element the light blades of grass and similar matter. 'I'he perforations 8 inthe bell-shaped housing 'I of Figs. 1 and 2 and the spaces between the wires 9 and II of Fig. 12 provide outlets for the air currents drawn in by the blade.

The bell-shaped housing prevents such accum- .ulation of clippings and sap as might vinterfere with the free movement of the blade. Reversing the blade so that the beveled portions are remote from the bell skirt will direct air currents away from the same. High speed rotation of the blade draws the finely cut material, and sap bled therefrom, to be precipitated against the housing end and if the same were not bell-shaped and-clearance thus provided the blade operation would be interfered with.

In Fig. 14 a modied form of blade is shown. I'his blade 22a is formed with cutting edges 23a. 24a, similar to the cutting edges 23, 24, and with a bent or propeller-shaped portion 24h that extends from each cutting edge almost to the longitudinal center of the blade. In this form of blade a greater amount of air is drawn inwardly by blade. rotation.

`Etemovably secured to the bell-shaped housing 1 by a back beneath the skirt or bell housing and that extends beyond the center of the housing, the free en d 28 thereof being bent slightly inwardly or toward the housing. In cutting grass the implement may be moved over the ground upon the runner to properly space the blade above the ground so that the cutter may closely follow the topography of the ground and cut evenly. A

, runner plate 29 circular in shape and with a beveled perimeter may be secured `to the inner end of the runner 21 to travel over the ground VYto eliminate lateral movement of the implement wing nut 26 is the runner 21 that is bent in operation. This runner is in this instance shortened slightly to receive the plate 29, as shown in Fig. 11, and is secured by a wing nui'l 26 to the bell-shaped housing. This form is interchangeable with the runner 21 shown alone in Fig. 6. With the runner plate there is less necessity for manual guidance of the tool.

In cutting at spaced distances from objects, as curbs, headstones, etc. with the blade in horizontal position the implement is so disposed with relation to the object that the guards I1, I8 have their ends abutting the object to properly space the blade therefrom, or the guards I9 or 29 may be so disposed to guide the blade.

In cutting a furrow contiguous to sidewalks and like objects the blade is disposed in a vertical position with the bell housing over the sidewalk, any of the sets of guards sliding along the edge of the walk, the blade then being disposed outwardly from the walk with respect to the guards. By removing the runner 21 the implement may be manually moved upon the hooks 2I over stone walks, grave markers and like objects X to cut the grass lying thereupon or therebetween. The hooks now serve as runners and prevent the blade from striking the object, the blade being disposed outwardly with respect to the object X as shown in Fig. 1.

For use along curbs, roadways and the like an angular guide 30 is secured by rivet 3l to the bell housing as a depth guide for the blade .to

determine the depth of cut to be made as shown in Fig. 9, the guards I1 riding along the edge of the object X and the blade cutting outwardly therefrom. As shown in Fig. '1 a guard I9 may have a clip 32 secured thereto, to carry a spacer roller 33 that may ride against the curb or other object X to prevent scratching of the same as might otherwise occur; or as shown in Fig. 8 a ball bearing 3B may be likewise secured to any guard I1 or I9 for the same purpose. The large or toothless open spaces -of the bell housing between the guards I9 and I1 or between the guards I3 and I3a allow the blade to cut grass regardless of thedirection in which the implement is moved and allow the blade to throw the grass free to prevent clogging which might otherwise occur.

For converting the grass cutter and edger into a hedge trimmer a tooth plate or collar 35 as shown in Fig. 15 is attached dir'ctly to the bell housing. This collar is applied over the handle and motor housing upon the top of the bellshaped housing by means of wing nut 26, the runner 21 having been removed. The collar 35 is formed with oppositely disposed extensions or neck portions 36 each having laterally extending onset teeth 31 and between the teeth 31.along one outer edge of the collar the same is formed with two groups of teeth, each group comprising three offset teeth 38, the groups being so spaced apart that the teeth thereof lie between the guards I1 and I9 of the bell housing 1 or between the guards I3 and I3u. of the wire housing of Fig; 12. Y

The teeth of the collar 35 now cooperate with the guards of the bell-shaped housing to hold branches while they are being cut by the knife. The collar 35 is formed also with offset guard hooks 39 disposed upon the opposite side of the 7 to prevent a broken blade u from flying outwardly toward the operator him bodily injury.

What is claimed is:

1. In a cutter and trimmer', a motor having a cylindrical housing, a bell-shaped skirt secured to one end of said housing provided marginally with to do -guards, said guards being arranged in groups spaced apart, a shaft positioned substantially centrally of said housing and skirt, a toothed collar removably secured to said skirt, the teeth of said collar being offset for disposition between the groups of guards of said skirt in the common plane thereof, a cutter secured to said shaft moving transversely across said guards and teeth when the shaft is rotated, and a handle secured when the shaft is rotated, and a handle adjustably secured to said motor housing.

3. In an electric cutter and trimmer, a motor having a substantially cylindrical housing, a skirt at' one end thereof, a motor shaft extending substantialyly centrally of said housing and skirt, straight guards formed peripherally on said skirt, hooked guards formed peripherally on said skirt substantially opposite said straight guards, a spacer roller carried by one straight guard contiguous to the skirt periphery, a rotary cutter fast to said shaft for movement transversely of said straight guards and through the ends of said hooked guards as said shaft is rotated, and a handle for said housing.

4. In a cutter and trimmer, a motor having a shaft, a housing for said motor, a bell-shaped skirt secured to the lower end of said housing, downwardly disposed hooked guards carried by said skirt and terminating therebeneath in spaced n relation thereto, a rotary cutter secured to said motor shaft and disposed between the lower end of said skirt and the free ends of said hooked guards, a runner secured to said skirt and extendingv therebeneath and beneath said hooked guards, 2|

and a disc-like circular runner plate secured ush to said runner for travel over the ground.

J OHN A. ORR.. 

